Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sports safety devices and more particularly to a sensor that senses when a runner is on a treadmill exercise device.
Description of the Problem Solved
The vast majority of exercise treadmills use a magnet attachment point on the treadmill as a safety device. The user attaches the safety magnet to the attachment point. The magnet itself, is attached to a string with a safely clip on the other end. The safety clip, in turn, should be attached to the runner. If the runner falls from the treadmill, he/she pulls the magnet from the attachment point, at which time, the treadmill shuts down. It's a simple method, and it works well. The problem is that many runners don't attach the safety clip to themselves. This is because a run is often halted because the runner knocks the retaining string with his/her hand such that the magnet is pulled from the attachment point. The run totals are cleared at this point, and the runner has to restart the treadmill. It would be very advantageous to have a safety device that would work with existing treadmill magnet attach points, but not have a safety string.